Sectional conveyer



Feb. 18, 1936. T. F. MCCARTHY SECTIONAL CONVEYER Filed May 6, 1935Jul/6w T'mo/l 7 I Patented Feb. 18, 1936 NITED STATES Application May 6,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sectional conveyers and has asits principal objects to provide an improved means for connectingadadjacent troughs of a sectional conveyer together which permits thetroughs to be efiiciently connected or disconnected in a much quickerand simpler manner than formerly, and which will eliminate loss ofconnecting parts.

Conveyer trough sections have been commonly connected together by meansof nuts and bolts or pins and wedges of one type or another. Such aconnecting means consumes considerable time in effecting the connection,and the connecting parts are frequently lost.

In my present invention a connecting means has been provided which willeliminate these difiiculties. Said connecting means consists in a boltadapted to extend through abutting members extending laterally fromadjoining trough sections. Said bolt has a head with inclined innersurfaces adapted to engage the sides of an aperture through which it isadapted to extend, so that turning of said head will cause said bolt andhead to move through its associated connecting member until the innerends thereof engage the outside of said connecting member against acompression spring encircling said bolt and abutting the opposite sideof said opposite connecting member.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a flight conveyer showing adjoiningtrough sections connected together by one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the connecting means inhorizontal section;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of Figure2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the connecting bolt.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, asectional conveyor of the chain type is shown. Said conveyer includes apair of adjoining aligned troughs I0, l0 having an endless chain movingalong the center thereof. Said chain has suitable transversely extendingflights l2, I2 secured thereto at intervals therealong for movingmaterial along said trough sections.

Referring now in particular to the details of the novel form of theconnecting means of my inventionya member l3 extends laterally outwardlyfrom opposite sides of the forward end of one trough section. Saidmembers are adapted 1935, Serial No. 20,039

to be abutted by members M, M extending rearwardly from the rearward endof the next adjoining trough section and extending along the forward endof said first-mentioned trough section to form a means for aligning saidtroughs during connection thereof. Said members may be of any form, butare herein preferably shown as being angle irons secured to therespective trough sections on one of their legs and having their otherlegs extending laterally outwardly from each trough section so thatadjacent legs may abut.

The laterally extending portion of each member I3 is herein shown asbeing centrally bored and the abutting portion of each member I4 isprovided with an aperture I5 which is aligned with the bored portion ofthe member l3. Said aperture may be of any irregular form but is hereinpreferably shown as having sides of a rectangular outline.

A connecting bolt H is adapted to extend through the bored portion ofthe member IS. A compression spring l8 encircles said bolt and abuts theoutside of the member l3 and a nut l9, which is threaded. on the outerend of said bolt.

Said bolt is provided with a relatively long rectangularly-shaped head20 which is adapted' to register for engagement with and pass throughthe aperture l5. Said head is provided with oppositely inclined innerends 2|, 2| which are inclined rearwardly in opposite directions fromopposite sides of the inner or engaging side of said head. Means areprovided wherein said head may be engaged by a suitable wrench orturning member which, as herein shown, comprises a bore 23 in said head.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the bolt I1 is normally adaptedto be permanently mounted in the member l3 and that when the troughsections l0, l0 adjoin each other and it is desired to connect themtogether, the head 20 may register for engagement with and pass throughthe aperture I5. Turning of said head by means of a bar inserted in thebore 23 will engage the inclined inner ends 2|, 2| thereof with thesides of said aperture which will move said bolt against the compressionspring I8 and' compress said spring until aposition is reached, such asis illustrated in Figure 2, when the adjoining troughs will be lockedtogether.

It will thus be seen that a new and improved means of a simplifiedconstruction has been provided for connecting adjoining troughstogether, which is adapted to be permanently connected to one of theconveyer troughs to prevent loss of parts thereof and which connect thetroughs together and locks them in a connected position in a simple,efficient and effective manner.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my inventionmay be embodied,

it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of thevarious parts may be changed or altered without departing from thespirit or scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed aslimiting myself to the precise construction illustrated, excepting as itmay be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a conveyer, a plurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting members extendinglaterally from adjacent troughs, said members being provided withaligned apertures and the aperture in one of said members being of anirregular contour, a connecting bolt adapted to register with saidapertures, said connecting bolt having a head conforming to the contourof said irregular aperture and being adapted to extend through saidirregular aperture, and said head being so arranged that turning thereofwill clamp said abutting members together against a compression springengaging said abutting member opposite said head.

2. In a conveyer, a plurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting members extendinglaterally from adjacent troughs, said members being provided withaligned apertures and the aperture in one of said members being of arectangular contour, a connecting bolt adapted to register with saidapertures having a rectangular head adapted to extend through saidrectangular aperture, and said head having oppositely inclined facesthereon adapted to engage the sides of said rectangular aperture wherebyturning of said head will clamp said members together against acompression spring encircling said bolt and engaging said abuttingmember opposite said head.

3. In a conveyer, a plurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting members securedthereto and extending laterally therefrom, said members being providedwith aligned apertures, one of. which is of an irregular contour, and aconnecting bolt adapted to register with said apertures, said bolt beingmounted in one of said members and having a compression memberinterposed between a head thereon and said member, and said bolt havingan opposite head adapted to pass through said irregular opening andbeing so arranged that turning of said head will compress saidcompression member and hold said abutting members in engagement witheach other.

4. In a conveyer, a plurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting members extendinglaterally from said troughs, said members being provided with alignedapertures, one of which has sides having a rectangular formation, and aconnecting bolt adapted to register with said apertures, a compressionspring encircling said bolt and engaging one of said abutting members,and a rectangular head for said bolt adapted to pass through saidrectangular aperture, said head having oppositely inclined sides adaptedto engage opposite sides of said aperture so that turning of said headwill clamp said abutting members together against said compressionspring.

5; In a conveyor, aplurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting-members extendinglaterally from said troughs, said members being provided with alignedapertures, one of which has sides of a rectangular formation, and aconnecting bolt adapted to register with said apertures, a nut on oneend of said bolt, a compression spring interposed between said nut andthe outside of one of said abutting members, a rectangular head on theopposite end of said bolt having oppositely inclined inner sides adaptedto engage the sides of said rectangular aperture so that turning of saidhead will move said bolt through said rectangular aperture and engagethe insides of said head with its associated abutting member and clampsaid abutting members together.

6. In a conveyer, a plurality of aligned troughs, and means to connectsaid troughs together comprising a pair of abutting members extendinglaterally from adjacent troughs, said members being provided withaligned apertures and the aperture in one of said members being of anirregular contour, a connecting bolt adapted to register with saidapertures, a head on said bolt adapted to pass through said irregularaperture having oppositely inclined sides adapted to engage oppositesides of said aperture whereby turning of said head will clamp saidmembers together against a compression spring encircling said bolt andabutting said member opposite said head.

TIMOTHY F. MCCARTHY.

